It’s no secret that the Boston Red Sox were searching far and wide for a “long-term” solution at shortstop ahead of last week’s trade deadline, discussing every name from Bobby Witt Jr. and Elly de la Cruz to Zach Neto regardless of whether or not they were on the trade block. 

Ultimately, thanks to exorbitant asking prices or general unwillingness from teams to move their superstar shortstops, Boston Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow opted to use his chips elsewhere, adding three-time All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman in a blockbuster with the Baltimore Orioles. With the Red Sox unable to acquire their shortstop of the future, the pressure now shifts to veteran Trevor Story as he works his way back from hernia surgery to reclaim his position, or risk losing it to top prospect Franklin Arias. 

After finally being the player the Red Sox signed him to be in 2025, the Red Sox placed a lot of pressure on Story to not only stay healthy but also replicate his 2025 production, which saw him be Boston’s best hitter in the second half. 

However, the 33-year-old was not able to replicate that success, hitting just .206/.244/.303/.547 with a weighted runs created plus (wRC+) of 46, which ranked 167 out of 171 qualified batters in his first 41 games of the season. Not only was Story not producing at the plate, but his defense at the position took a step back for the second year in a row. In 340.1 innings, Story made six errors, which at the time was the fifth most in baseball, while his outs above average of -3 ranked in the 10th percentile of all shortstops. 

Then, once again, the injury bug hit the veteran shortstop as he was placed on the injured list for the fifth time in five seasons on May 16 with a sports hernia. However, the injury could, in part, explain his early-season struggles, as he told reporters that he first started feeling discomfort nearly a month before landing on the IL. 

Interim manager Chad Tracy has used a rotating cast at shortstop in Story’s stead, including Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Marcelo Mayer and, recently, Andruw Monasterio. While Monasterio has more than held his own at the plate, hitting .337/.409/.568/.978 since July 1. He has left something to be desired defensively, posting a -2 defensive runs saved, -8 outs above average, and -6 fielding run value at the position. Despite Monasterio’s success at the plate, the aggressive nature in which Breslow pursued the position shows that the team is not entirely thrilled with the position. With Story nearing a rehab appearance, paired with the trade deadline deal that sent former top prospect Marcelo Mayer to San Francisco, the veteran will undoubtedly be given the first crack at reclaiming the position.

However, Story’s imminent return puts both the player and organization in a tough position. Story is both a veteran and a team leader; however, his production prior to the injury was simply not good enough. With Boston’s top prospect, shortstop Franklin Arias, knocking on the door of the big leagues, hitting .288/.356/.519/.875 in 12 games since being promoted to Triple-A on July 23, how long of a leash will Story be given before the team considers giving their top prospect a shot at contributing down the stretch? 

The 33-year-old has been out of game action for nearly three months, so there is bound to be some growing pains as he gets comfortable being back on the field. However, if the team is going to call up the 20-year-old Arias, which they have not ruled out, they’ll likely want to give him some runway to adjust to major league pitching. 

The pressure is firmly on Story’s shoulders to prove to the team that he is capable of handling the position down the stretch within the first several weeks upon his return. If he doesn’t, he risks losing his starting role at the position for 2026 and beyond. 

The Red Sox will look to bounce back after dropping their first series since the first week of July when they head north of the border for a crucial four-game set with the Toronto Blue Jays. Sonny Gray (14-2, 2.78 ERA) gets the start for Boston opposite Jameson Taillon (2-6, 5.96 ERA) for Toronto. First pitch from Rogers Centre is set for 7:07 p.m. ET.